A head protector is known which forms part of a protective system for protecting personnel engaged in dangerous activities such as bomb disposal and land mind sweeping. The head protector comprises a helmet of the closed face type, i.e. having a frontal aperture which is completely surrounded by the helmet shell. A specially formed is mounted on the helmet shell over the frontal opening and is formed of acrylic which is capable of the standing high energy forces from sharp fragments without shattering. The helmet is covered in multiple layers of ballistic resistant material to increase the level of protection provided by the helmet. A ventilation hose is attached to the rear of the helmet, the end of which houses an electrically operated fan for providing ventilation air into the interior of the helmet. The hose and electrical fan combination also provide a counterweight to balance the weight of the visor at the front of the helmet to bring the centre of gravity of the helmet nearer its centre. The visor is securely fastened to the helmet by fasteners positioned at the top and bottom of the helmet opening.